My Favorite New Summer Makeup Idea: Cool-Girl Glitter

With the exception of Birkenstocks, I don't consider anything I wore in middle school to be cool, and one of the things I wore ad nauseum back then was glitter. Now, this wasn't loose, classy glitter from professional makeup brands like M.A.C. or Make Up For Ever. This was a tube of glitter gel I bought at Claire's that smelled vaguely like Cupcake Dolls. I smeared it around my eyes for school, and all over my body for school dances. Like I said, there was absolutely nothing cool about it. The thing is, I still love glitter, and I love when I find a way to wear it that doesn't make me look like Tinkerbell got lost in suburbia.

This summer, when I wear glitter, it's going to be a smattering of loose flecks on top of bare eyelids. It's how the models wore glitter for Altuzarra's fall 2014 runway and how Nicole Richie wore glitter to the Met Gala, and it just looks so freakin' cool. It's a hint of Marilyn Minter glitz, while everything else is minimal: no eyeliner, no lipstick, blush (but only a little so you don't look like a dead person), and mascara (if you want).

The cool factor of this look also depends on the color of glitter you chose. At Altuzarra, makeup artist Tom Pecheux used M.A.C. 3D glitter in Brass Gold, a light green-gold shade. Richie's makeup artist Beau Nelson used a mixture of pastel iridescent flecks from Make Up For Ever, NYX Cosmetics, and Lit Cosmetics. These aren't brightly colored glitters. They're soft shades that, depending on the angle, can be invisible on your skin or flash a hint of silver or gold light.

And now, since these glitters aren't in gel form like my middle-school favorite, you'll need to troubleshoot a bit. At Altuzarra, Pecheux coated his brush in clear lip gloss before dipping it in loose glitter. if you don't like the idea of smearing lip gloss on your lids, create a sticky base with a cream shadow that matches your skin tone. Keep the sparkles concentrated along the lash line or on just the inner half of the lids (like on Richie), and I promise you, on the outside you'll look totally sexy and cool, while on the inside your middle-school self will be squealing with joy.